Pumping structure



June 4, 1940- F. A. CARPENTER 2,203,077

PUMPING STRUCTURE Filed July 12'. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a l 7 I e Z ,1, a 3 7 2 a 4 v. M i 4 a r i. J a Ni x a 7 W 4 ATTORNEY.

\ June 4, 1940.

F. A. CARPENTER PUMPING si'nuc'runs Filed July 12, 1937 2 hosts-Sheet 2 INVENTORK v FRED A. CARPENTER 1 V A I m ATTORNEY.

Patented June4, 1940 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rummo s'rauoronn .Fred a. Carpenter, Berkeley; Calif.

Application July 12, 1937, Serial No. 153,112 I 3 Claims. (01. ins-r13) My invention relates to pumps and more particularly to a liquid pump structure capable of handling air without losing prime. 4

It is an important object of my invention to i provide a pump structure that is self-priming in operation.

Further objects of my invention are: To provide a pump structure that will handle repeated volumes of air in the suction conduit without losing prime; to provide a pump structure that requires no foot or check valve in the suction conduit thereof to provide a structure of the class described wherein the principal parts are contained in a single casing; to provide a pump struc- 5 ture which requires a relatively small amount of liquid to effect the initial priming of the pump; and to provide a pump structure that is composed -of few and simple parts and that is highly eflicient yet economical of manufacture.

My invention possesses numerous additional objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be apparent or will be specifically pointed out in the following description forming a part of this specification,

but I do not limit myself to the specific embodiment of the invention herein illustrated; as vari- 0115 forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Ll) Figure 1 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of said structure taken in a plane indicated by the line 2-4 of Figure 3.

m Figure 3 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4' is another sectional view taken as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Generally. the structure of my invention comprises a casing preferably of cast iron construction having a priming chamber therein; a fluidsupply pipe is provided which enters said casing preferably adjacent the top thereof and the same is supplied with a venturi preferably disposed [5 within the casing and which is adapted to discharge into the priming chamber. A pump, preferably of the centrifugal type, is disposed within the casing and has its inlet opening adjacent the botom of the priming chamber. A jet is provided iv for connection within the casing with the outlet of the pump and the same is positioned to discharge toward the inlet end of the venturi. Both a low pressure and a high pressure outlet conduit are provided for the discharge of liquid 55 from said casing. For low pressure discharge,

one conduit is connected directly with said priming chamber, while for high pressure discharge, the other conduit is connected with the outlet of the pump between the pump and the jet. In either case, however, the conduits are positioned 6 at a point above the level of the pump inlet so that the liquid will not drain from the pump and priming chamber to cause loss of prime. In the case of the high pressureoutlet conduit, I provide therein a control valve which is adapted to open 10 in response to a pre-determined liquid pressure generated by the pump. The low pressure outlet conduit on the other hand is provided with a manually-operated valve. I further provide an air duct which connects with the top of the priming chamber through the casing for ridding the chamber of any air that may be delivered there-' into during operation.

In greater detail and with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, go the structure of my invention comprises a casing 5, preferably of cast construction. having a priming chamber 6 therein provided with a. suction compartment 1 which forms within thecasing a continuation of a fluid suction or supply pipe 8. A Venturi tube 9 horizontally positioned within the casing is removably supportedat its inlet end in a bore H formed in'the wall [2 of the compartment, while its outlet discharges into the priming chamber adjacent the top thereof. In order to facilitate the installation or removal of the Venturitube, I prefer to provide the cas-' ing adjacent the discharge end of such tube with an opening l3 covered by a cap H which is removably secured to the casing by means of bolts I6. I prefer that the cap be of arcuate shape in vertical cross-section (see Figure 3) so as to deflect the liquid discharged by the Venturi tube into the priming chamber.

A pump I I disposed within the casing and pref- 4Q erably of the impeller type is provided and the same is mounted for rotation in a pump chamber l8 preferably of volute shape formed within the casing adjacent the priming chamber and into which a pump inlet l9 opens. I prefer that the 4;, bottom of the pump chamber shall be disposed substantially below the bottom of the priming chamber and that the pump inlet shall open into said priming chamber adjacent the bottom thereof, as illustrated in Figure 4, in order that liquid from the priming chamber will normally flow through the inlet into the pump chamber to effect priming of the pump.

A drive-shaft 2|, on which the impeller pump is mounted. projects-outwardly from the casing hub 23 formed on a plate 24 which latter is re:

movably secured by means of the bolts26 to the casing and for which itiorms a side wall. The

shaft is preferably supported and journaled in a bearing block 21 secured to the plate by means of a plurality of arms 28 and the same is adapted to be driven by a motor 29 or other suitable prime mover.

The pump chamber I8 is provided at the top thereof with an outlet throat 3| which flares outwardly through the easing into a discharge cnannel 32 formed in a valve housing 33, which housing is removably secured to the casing by means of bolts 34 and in effect constitutes a part of the casing. A transverse partition wall 36 within the housing and which comprises .the outer wall of the discharge channel forms with the housing an outlet chamber 31 which communicates with an outlet conduit 38.

An outlet port 39 disposed in the partition wall is provided with a control valve M which is adapted to op nin response to a pre-determined liquid pressure created by the pump. For such purpose, valve dl is provided with a stem- 42 which projects through aperture 43 formedin the housing opposite the inlet port and also through a cylindrical cage 44 secured to the housing. A coiled spring 46 connected at its inner end to the valve stem is adapted to be compressed by the adjustable nut 41 threaded in the outer end of the cage 'to urge the valve toward closed position. It is thus apparent that when the fluid pressure on the inlet side of the valve overcomes the spring pressure, the valve will open, or will automatically close, when the fluid pressure drops.

-In case the outlet conduit is connectedwith any well known type of pressure tank, I prefer to utilize the back pressure from such tank to' .48 which closes the aperture 43 and is connected to and movable with the valve stem. I prefer that the diaphragm shall have a greater area than that of the valve so that the back pressure thereon will overcome the back pressure on the valve and thus tend to open the valve wider as the back pressure increases, whereby maximum volume of liquid will flow through the port 39 under the normal operative pressure generated by the pump.

The adjacent walls of the housing and casing are suitably apertured to receive and support a jet 49 which communicates with the discharge passage 32 and projects into the suction compartment l and toward the receiving end olf the Venturi tube. Thus liquid forced by the pump through the throat and discharge passage will be directed by the jet at high velocity into the venturi, thereby creating a partial vacuum whereby fluid or air will be drawn through the suc tion pipe 3 and compartment 1 into the venturi and thence discharged into the priming chamber.

The discharge of liquid at low pressure is made from the top of the priming chamber preferably throughan outlet pipe 5i which is threadedly received in aperture 52 formed .in the top of the casing; and a manually-operated shut-oil discharge, the shut-ofi valve is closed andthe fluid released under higher pressure from the discharge channel through the port 39 to chamber 2,203,077 l 31 and thence to the outlet conduit 38. It will I be observed that both the high and low pressure outlets as well as the discharge end of the ven- -turiare positioned above the level of the pump inlet so that liquid will not drain from the casing below such level and cause the pump to lose its prime. Furthermore, the .need of a check or foot valve in the inlet conduit is obviated.

- In initially priming thepump, I unscrew the outlet pipe 5| and through the aperture 52 pour suflicient liquid to fill the priming chaniberand consequently the pump chamber to a point at least above the level of the pump inlet. When the-outlet pipe is replaced and the motor start- -ed, the pump will force the priming liquid through the discharge passage to the jet which discharges the same at high velocity into the inlet end of the Venturl tube causing a suction within the suction chamber-and upon the suction pipe. Any air sucked into the compartment from the suction pipe will be conveyed through the venturi into the priming chamber where it rises to the top ti) be released through the outlet pipe Sl. However, if the high pressure discharge is desired, in which case the valve 53 will be closed, I provide an air duct 54 which pref erably leads from the top of the priming chamher to the housing chamber, but in case the outlet conduit is connected with a pressure tank, then to prevent the back flow of liquid therethrough, I vent the air'duct to atmosphere I'wish to point outthat in case of high pres;

sure discharge, after the air has been-released from the casing and liquid has filled the same, the liquid pressure therein will be built up by the pump until it is suflicient to actuate the valve 4| whereupon a considerable portion of the liquid will be diverted through .the port to the outlet condui't while the balance will be forced through the jet. Now if air is sucked in through the inlet pipe, the pressure will drop and cause l the valve to temporarily close until such time as the pressure has again reached that point at which the valve has been set to open. It is, therefore, obvious that since the priming chamher will always remain a charge of fiuid,'repeated volumes of air may be handled without the pump losing its prime. v

I- claim:

1. In a device of .the class described, a casing having a priming chamber therein forming a single compartment, a fluid-supply pipecarrying the entire input for said pump and entering said casing, a venturi within said casingand discharging intosaid priming chamber and so disposed as to receive and discharge into said priming chamber the entire flqw of fluid from said in a pressure system, a casing having a priming chamber therein, a fluid-supply pipe, a venturi' in said pipe and discharging'into said priming chamber, a pump having its inlet opening into said priming chamber, a. jet connected with the f 60 supply pipe, a pump within said casing andhav- 2. In a. device of the class described for use outlet of said pump and directed toward the in 7 let 0! said venturi,-a liquid outlet conduit connected between said pump and said jet, a valve in said conduit, a spring connected with said valve for actuating the same to close said conduit, and a diaphragm associated with said valve and responsive to hydraulic back pressure in said system for opposing the tendency of such back pressure to resist opening of said valve in response to pressure on its inlet side.

3. In a device of the class described a casing having a priming chamber therein, a supply conduit entering said casing, a venturi within said casing and supported to receive the full input from said supply conduit and discharge the same into said priming chamber against a wall thereof. a pump in said casing having an inlet opening communicating with said priming chamber adjacent the bottom thereof, said wall of the priming chamber at the striking location of said venturi discharge being arcuate in shape to turn said discharge in the direction of said pump inlet opening.

FRED A. CARPENTER. 

